A unique find at the Morgan Library and Museum on Madison Avenue has shaken up the music world. Curator Robinson McClellan has discovered a previously unknown piece by the legendary Frederic Chopin. The precious artifact is a sheet of music yellowed with age with an elegant waltz consisting of 24 bars (48 when repeated), daily.afisha.ru reports with reference to The New York Times.
The authenticity of the find was confirmed by a comprehensive examination, including an analysis of the paper, ink, the composer's characteristic handwriting and his unique musical style. Experts date the creation of the waltz to the period between 1830 and 1835, when the young composer was just over 20 years old.
The discovery is especially valuable given that the last such find was made more than 50 years ago. Despite its brevity – just 80 seconds long – the waltz is a complete work, though shorter than Chopin’s earlier works in the genre.
Born in 1810 in the Polish village of Zelazowa Wola near Warsaw, Fryderyk Chopin demonstrated exceptional musical talent from an early age. He not only became a virtuoso pianist and a brilliant composer, but also devoted himself to teaching music. During his short life – only 39 years – Chopin created about 250 works that forever changed the world of classical music.
Remarkably, this is not the only significant musical discovery of recent times. In September, a previously unknown work by the young Mozart was discovered in Germany – a string trio of seven miniatures, lasting about 12 minutes in total, created in the 1760s.
